Summer Simplicities

Hello Style Dossier readers!

I was thrilled when the lovely sisters of the Style Dossier asked me to write a guest blog post for them! Some day maybe I'll get the chance to meet Libby, Katy, and Mandy. I would love to party and dance the night away with them! All dreams of a blogger meet-up aside, let me introduce myself. My name is Ashley, and you can find me blogging about a little bit of everything over at Piloting Life.

Today, I'm sharing my favorite things to do during the summer, because this was always my favorite season while growing up in northern Michigan.

My husband and I recently moved from Colorado to Florida, and I find it pretty exciting that we now live in endless summer. {we'll see if that still applies by the end of August} I'm also loving the fact that we live so close to the beach now. Summer is in full force here in Florida!

Since many of you probably live all over the country, I wanted to share some fun summer activities that apply to everyone. As I learned from living in Colorado, we don't all have the luxury of living near a beach. There are many ways to enjoy summer that are accessible and affordable!

Enjoying a sunset is a free summer pleasure that you can enjoy just about anywhere {except for maybe Alaska during certain times of the year when that sun doesn't really seem to set}. I've seen the sun set in many different places, and sunsets are really beautiful no matter where you watch them. Watching the sun set is a perfect activity in really hot climates, because that's about the time that the temperature drops a few degrees and a slight breeze blows. In cooler climates, the sunset signals the time to throw on a sweatshirt and enjoy the evening. More than likely, you probably won't be enjoying too many sunsets smack in the middle of winter. Brrr! Did I mention that watching a sunset is typically (depending on where you watch from) free too?! You can't beat a summer sunset.

I don't know what says summer better than grilled food. Hot dogs, burgers, and steaks. Corn on the cob, chicken wings, and kabobs. Summer is the season for grilling! More than likely, winter is too bone-chilling to get outside and cook on the grill. Take full advantage of the summer weather by enjoying some food grilled fresh, and then enjoy it outside! My husband and I have a little bistro table and chairs that we bought fairly cheap from Target, but I grew up eating outside almost every night on a good old fashioned picnic table in our yard. Anything works as long as it's cooked and eaten outside.

Another free summer activity you can enjoy is simply going outside. There are a lot of free parks and trails out there. With a little research you might locate a free park where you can spend some time outside. A little fresh air never hurts. When the ground is covered in snow, or the sun dips too low for heat, you'll be glad that you spent the summer outside.

Thanks to The Style Dossier for having me today!

I hope you all have a wonderful Summer.